Testing device



v Sefit. 21 1926. v 0 1,600,406

C.E.EMMONS TESTING DEVICE Filed July 29, 1921 i fiameif In such apparatus the ing medium Patented Sept. 21, 1926.

UNITED STATES- PATENT or fice."-

CLAUDE E. EMMONS,

or NEW Yonx, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE TExAsooMrANY, on

NEW YORK, Y., A COR PORATIO NOF TEXAS.

. Application filed July 29,

This invention relates to testing devices,

and it'has special reference to flash cups.

such as are employed in determining th flash points of'oil or the like,

- Heretoforein the art it has been common to determine, the flash points. of oil by means of an open flash cup which is set into an air bath container towhich heat, is applied by some suitable agency, such as a Bunsen -tainer in which the-flash cup is disposed, and .upon which it rests, is usually constructed so as to surround the cup insuch manner as-to provide aspace for the heatthe peripheral side walls of thecup. With this construction there is a tendency for the mostfihighly heated portions of the surto accumulate in the upper portion of the envelo ing bath chambe rwhereby the contents 0 the cup is subj'ected to excessive local heating through the r PP Th-islocal heating results in the creation of the convection currents which prevent uni- Accordingly,

. templates a flashcup f the that issoconstructed as to apply heat only to the bottom wall of thecup, thereby el1m1- vection currents incident thereto.

the fluid ,beingtested in heating and the resulting con- Furthere more,,provis1on is nade for gently agitating 1 nating local ,.-insure the desired uniformity of temperature conditions throughout the fluid. This agitation is-ef'fected preferably by means of a plurality of stirring are'carried bya vertical hollow shaftwhich of the fluid is; ascertained.

- Thzin nt qn w llie-b e Mme invention. ,0 i

Fig.- 2 is a sectional plan'view ;of the d e-.-

air bath conpartially 1n adjacent both the bottom and part of the peripheral wall thereof.

object of the present,

transmitting heat to general a character, which throughout its mass.

such manner as to blades or arms that j I .alt ough the partitioning is mounted -for. rotative movementand: whichucarries a thermometer or other instrument by means-{offwhich the temperature.

rns'rme DEVICE.

1921. Serial No. 488,300.

reference to the. accompanying drawing,

which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention and-in which:

Fig. 1 is a Vl8W, partia and partially in section,- of a testing device constructed in accordance with the present vice shown in Fig. 1, the section being taken along the section line 2-2 thereof- Y Fig.

theupper' bearing of said devicegand v iectio'n, of the lower bearing thereof. 7 V Referring to the drawing, the testing device illustrat'ed omprisesxa .fiash cup 10 having a bottom Wall 11,- a peripheral side.

wall 12- and anannular flange 13 projecting laterally from the upper portion of the cup.

The cup isset into an airbat h'container 14 in concentric relation therewith, and is supported in position by the annular flange 13' which rests upon the upper edge 15 ofthe container. The dimensions of the cup and air bath container are sov chosen that an air chamber or space 16 for the .heating medium is provided; for the purpose ofapplying or,v

the cup 10 and its contents. The container is provided with an annular inwardly projecting flange or rib 17 which 1 is ada ted to make a relatively tight joint with t ecup vent access of the heated air into that porvtion o-fthe air chamber 16 which is adjacent to, and surrounds, the peripheral wall 12 of thecup, which portion also forms a dead air space or heat-insulating chamber. By this means; the application of heat is confined lly .111 elevation 3 is an enlarged sectional view of Fig. 4 is an enlarged View ,inelevation;

10, in order to preentirely'to the bottomnwall 11 ofthe cup,

whereby local over-heating and the resultant convection currents incident to similar art are ,e1emi-.

testing devices of the prior nated. Moreover aheat insulatingchamber is provided for preventing undue v heat radiation through the peripheral wall of the on It will, of course, be understoodthat flange 17.11is illustrated as "forming an integral portion of the cup, or the component parts a o as some means part of the container it mayequ'ally well constitute a ripheral walls of the cup,

heat is transniitted to the the operation.

the-flash c is 'm-aintained at a uniforn "Inasmuch :as the rotation of very slow, it is entirely practicable-to make venting the application of heat to the peand for directing it entirely to the bottom wall thereof.

While the construction already described may prove sufliciently effective for the pur pose intended with certain grades of oil, uniform heating conditions throughout the mass of fluid being tested are best insured by providing suitable means for effecting a gentle agitation of the cup contents. For this purpose, suitable stirring means preferably in the form of a plurality of stlrring blades or arms 18, is provided. ring arms are located within the cup ad jacent the bottom wall thereof, being conveniently mounted upon a vertically extending rotatable shaft 19, the lower end of which rests in a central bearing 20 forming an integral part of the cup. The shaft is preferably hollow and carries a suitable thermometer 21 disposed therein and rotated therewith, the thermometer being vis- *ible through an opening 22 provided in the cylindrical wall of the shaft. In order to permit free access of the fluid being-tested to the lower end or bulb of the thermometer,

a plurality of apertures 22 are provided through the lowerend of the shaft.

The rotatable shaft 19 is held in vertical operating position by means of an upper bearing member or sleeve 23 which is held in a clamp 24 through an intermediate sleeve member 25 (see Fig. 3). The bearing 23 .is preferably of glass and the sleeve 25 of rubber or forms apart of, or is carried by, an arm 26 pro ect ng in the form of a pulley 30 is provided,

through the agency of which ower from a suitablesource may be appliec for the purpose of effecting a slow rotative movement of the shaft 19 andthestirring arms 18 mounted thereon. As shown, the pulley'30 is attached to the shaft through .an' intermediate bushing 31 of rubber or other suitable resilient material.

In utilizing the testing device described (for determining the flash points of oil or 'other fluids, it will be understood that the air bath container is subjected to heat from some suitable source, during which period contents of'the cup through the agency of the air bath.

The shaft and attached stirring arms are slowly and continuously rotated throughout In this way the contents of s is continuously and gently agitated-wherebvthe entire contents'of the cup the shaft is These stirsaid cup,

similar material, although any suitable substances maybe employed. The 7 clamp 24 laterally from an upright standard or supporting rod 27, to

temperature.

- of saiifl container and readings of the thermometer during the operation although, if desired, the rotation of the shaft may be discontinued periodically to allow the thermometer to be read.

Of course, the invention should not be restrict-ed to the particular illustrative embodiment set forth herein, as manymodifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, the true scope of which is defined in the appended claims.

Having disclosed the nature of the invention and described a specific embodiment thereof, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a testing device, the combination with a flash cup, of a rotatable stirrer disposed therein for agitating the contents thereof, means'for rotating'said stirrer and a thermometer carried by and coincident with the axis of the stirrer "and rotatedwith the stirrer for indicating thetemperature of the contents.

'j'ecting from said shaft and disposed within the/lower end of said hollow shaft.

3. In a testing device, the combination with an open top flash cup having a central bearing in the bottom thereof, and a rotatable shaft seated in said bearing and provided with'stirring arms, of an adjustable supporting device adjacent said Hash cup and carrying a bearing for the upper end of the stirrer shaft, and means for rotating said shaft in said bearing.

4. In a testing device, the combination with a flash cup having a central bearing in the bottom thereof, and a rotatable stirring device comprising va vertical 'hollow shaft having its lower end resting in said bearing, of athermometer disposed within the lower end of said hollow shaft and rotatable therewith, said shaft being provided with a plurality of apertures adjacent its lower end to permit the free entrance 'of the cup contents into contact with said thermometer.

.5. In a testing device, the combination with a flash cup ha'vinga laterally projecting annular flange, and an air bath containersurrounding said cup and in which the cup sets with-its annular flange resting upon the upper edge of said container, of means for preventing the exposure of other than the bottom wall of said cup to the heated air in'said airba'th container.

6. In a testing device, the combination with a flash cup having a laterally project: ing annular flange at substantiallyits upper end, and anairbath container surrounding said cup and in -w-hi'ch' thecup sets with its annular flange rest'in :upon the upper edge with "its battens. and.

and a thermometer mounted within side walls spaced from said container, of an annular partition between the side walls of said container and said cup and disposed in substantiall the plane of the bottom wall of said cup whereby a heat insulating dead air space is provided to surround the side wall of said cup.

7. In combination, an outer cup-shaped receptacle having an inwardly projecting annular flange intermediate its top and bottom, and an open top flash cup having an outwardly projecting annular flange adapted to be seated upon the upper end of the outer receptacle and with its lower periphery forming a seal with the inwardly projecting flange of the outer receptacle to form separated chambers around and beneath the flash cup.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 28th day of July, 1921.

CLAUDE E. EMMONS. 

